Exhibit

The Founders of Sigma Kappa are not only remembered and honored among Sigma Kappas, but their legacy lives on at Colby College as well.

In 1890, some of the male students at Colby began to protest the presence of women in their classes. The “History of Colby College” noted that “No small part of the agitation [...] was prompted by the fact that [the women] persistently ran away with the honors.” In response, the President introduced a plan to end coeducation at the College and to separate the male and female students into different classes. Mary Low Carver, Louise Coburn, and 17 other female graduates of Colby - all of them Sigma Kappas - protested the move. Despite the women’s petition, the proposal was passed and Colby split into separate divisions for men and women. 

Despite her opposition to the split in the first place, Louise Coburn was appointed to the committee that would lead the new Women’s Division. She pushed for the representation of women on campus and worked to ensure they received the highest possible education, even if segregated from the male students. In 1911, Coburn became the first female member of Colby’s Board of Trustees. She later served as the first President of the Colby Alumnae Association and would be honored by the college with the honorary degree of Litt. D. Coburn continued to advocate for female students at Colby, lobbying for the first female professor—appointed in 1920—and pushing the college to provide better housing for female students.

Although less involved with Colby College in an official capacity, as the first female graduate, Mary Caffrey Low Carver, has been especially honored by the college. In 1916, she was honored with the degree Litt. D and in 1921, when Colby celebrated the 50th anniversary of the admission of women, Carver delivered the main address. In 1942, Colby honored both Louise Coburn and Mary Low Carver by naming a dormitory for them on the then new Mayflower Hill campus. Mary Low Hall and Louise Coburn Hall are under one roof, but the building is divided into two separate wings. The hall includes the Mary Low Coffeehouse, which hosts poetry readings, open mic nights, and generally serves as one of the go-to spots for Colby students.

Additional archival information about the Founders, particularly Mary Low Carver and Louise H. Coburn, can be found from the Colby College Special Collections.

Founders Coburn, Hall, Carver, and Pierce at Convention Photograph, 1924